Wednesday, February 29, 2012

When you are craving pizza, but have no toppings on hand, you make these breadsticks. That is what the little man and I did this last weekend. If you didn't read Monday's post, you can read all about our lovely weekend here.

And when I say lovely, I'm being sarcastic.

You also need to check out that post, as I'm giving away a Martha Stewart cookbook. I'll choose a winner tomorrow!﻿

Like I've said I prefer dipping anything in marinara sauce. Breadsticks, pizza crusts, my fingers, etc. I thank the Italians daily for inventing it and making it a staple in our American lives.

These breadsticks are so simple and are restaurant quality. You need to try these. I used my classic pizza dough recipe, but you can use any dough you prefer, although I will admit homemade dough tastes SO. MUCH. BETTER.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, place pizza stone on top rack. When pizza stone is hot, take out of oven to assemble breadsticks. Stretch dough to desired sized and thickness and lay on stone. Brush dough with olive oil. Sprinkle with onion powder, garlic salt (or fresh garlic), Parmesan cheese and provolone cheese.

Bake for just 10 minutes or until crust is crispy and cheese is bubbly. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

More pictures Mom? Really?

Little miss even gnawed on a breadstick in between bouts of sneezing and coughing. I can't believe a year ago I was 8 months pregnant with her and the little man wasn't even two years old yet. My kids are growing way too fast...

Monday, February 27, 2012

Here is a list of what has happened since early last week. I hope I don't bore you...

Little Miss was diagnosed with a double ear infection on Monday, which caused her to stay home with the husband Tues-Thurs (when I work).

Little Man had an off and on fever all week and a cough (just enough to be annoying, but not stay home from daycare).

Thursday night our home computer contracted a virus, or lots of them, and I've been without a computer ALL weekend. It's been hard.

Friday, the Little Miss still wasn't doing well, so we trekked back to the doctor, to hear her double ear infection was still the same and get a change of meds.

Saturday, the Little Man woke up from his nap with a 102 degree fever and a horrible cough.

Saturday night I we (the husband and I) got puked on three times.

Sunday, I spent all day wiping noses, giving out meds and trying to find time to shower.

Today, I sit here at the public library, to use their computer and finally get a blog post out. I'm sorry, life has thrown me a lot of lemons this weekend.

I did finally get to watch this...

Hilarious. And a much needed break from coughs, puking and wiping noses. Have you seen it yet?

Now, on to my giveaway. I'll forgive you if you've already stopped reading. I have a slight problem with going to thrift stores and looking in their book sections. I never come out empty handed. And when I see brand new cookbooks that look like they've never been touched, I snatch them up.

This was one of them. Love her or hate her, Martha knows how to cook. This HUGE monster will get you through any cooking disaster.

Here is how you can win (4 separate chances!). I'll choose a winner on Thursday.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

I've often said if given the choice when relaxing in a hot bath, I'd gladly choose marinara sauce to come out of the faucet, rather than hot water.

Yes, I said it. I'd bathe in marinara sauce.

My niece doesn't like red sauce. We still haven't figured out what is wrong with her.

I love it. I'll dunk any type of bread in it, drown my pasta in it or if wishes would come true, bathe in it. I wonder if it'd be good for your skin?

This recipe comes from IGE, although I did change it up just a little as to what I had on hand. When I saw she added marinara sauce to this soup, I was in. We gobbled it up last night with super easy and yummy grilled cheeses on the side for dunking.

This soup is healthy and filling, and I'm imagining it would freeze well. Great for stocking up on freezer meals!

In a large stockpot, brown meat and drain off any excess grease. Add in all other ingredients, except pasta. Simmer until veggies are soft. This can continue to simmer for a few hours or until ready to eat.

Thirty minutes before serving, add in pasta. When pasta is cooked (it won't take long), serve.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

This weekend I had an afternoon with some girlfriends and ate some good food. Can't get much better than that, right? As previously talked about a good friend is getting married in May and on Saturday we helped her make invitations, programs, shower invitations and well, pretty much a lot of stuff for her wedding!

It was a good day and her mom fed us well.

Like, really, really well.

So well, that I didn't eat dinner later that night (probably had to do with the TWO lemon cupcakes I ate).

There is some history behind these enchiladas. They have been making the rounds on Pinterest as some of the best white sauce enchiladas around. I would have to agree.

When Robin said she was making these, my heart did a little 'thump-thump', as I had also seen this recipe floating around cyber-space, but had yet to make them. I took two home to the husband, who promptly inhaled and declared some of the best he has ever had.﻿﻿

Make a pan of these today, this week or this upcoming weekend. You'll love me for it and thank me in your nightly prayers.

Mix cooked, shredded chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up into the tortillas and place in pan.

In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Stir in sour cream and green chilies. Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.

Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

Then promptly inhale and gorge yourself like I did.

These darling invitations are so darn creative, I almost wish I was getting married again. What is funny as she has the exact same colors as I did for my wedding - black with an accent of green.﻿﻿

﻿And these programs with one of their engagement photos on the cover are just darn adorable. Check out those ribbons. I tied all of them.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

This photo and recipe comes courtesy of Lovin' From the Oven. She gave me the great idea for these waffles and clearly, they did not disappoint.

Yesterday afternoon I left the kids with Grandma who came down for the day and headed to my friend's house for an afternoon of assembling wedding invitations. It was good to get out of the house (without kids) and have some adult conservation. She is getting married in May and is ubber-creative, so we just followed her lead and got to work.

In all that excitement I left my camera there. So Lovin' From the Oven helped me out today. If you are a person afraid of yeast, this is the recipe to start with, as you do nothing but throw it into the batter.

People, these waffles are restaurant quality. Crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. Please try them! I'm throwing away all old waffle recipes I have and replacing them with this one.

In a bowl combine all dry ingredients and stir. Gently add in wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and place in the fridge. Chill overnight or up to 24 hours.

Before using the next morning, stir batter. Place 3/4 c. of the batter onto hot waffle iron. Keep waffles warm on a baking sheet in a 200 degree oven. Makes 7 waffles (with a round waffle maker, could be less if using a large square one.)

I'm headed to the kitchen now to pull out the three remaining waffles from the freezer to heat up for breakfast. The kids are calling and I'm hungry.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Why couldn't I have invented Pinterest? Sometimes I wish I could creatively come up with a fantastic idea that everyone falls for. As Oprah says 'Find something you love to do, then find a way to get paid for it'.

Yep, I'm still working on that.

Today I thought I'd share some of the projects/ideas/new recipes I might tackle in the upcoming months. Who knows, maybe you'll jump on the bandwagon too?﻿

The little miss is turning 1 on March 25th. {tear.} She has grown into such a beautiful, happy baby. My heart aches a little when I think of her birthday coming up. In one sense I'm glad to be leaving those baby things - less bottles and sleepless nights - but on the other hand I'm going to miss them dearly.

My mom usually does all the homemade birthday cakes, but I'm pretty sure I can tackle this one on my own. You all know how I feel about store bought cakes...this one will definitely be homemade and I hope she loves it!

Fruit Pizza Bar

A good friend of mine is getting married in May and I'm the personal attendant. We are throwing a shower for her in the coming months and I think this Fruit Pizza Bar is fabulous. I haven't brought up the idea to the other girls, yet, but wouldn't this be fun?

﻿Ok, who is sick of looking at that pile of crap on their kitchen counter? Or that spare bedroom that has just become a free for all? I am.

Think of this project as a job. Each day, do something. Set a timer and get it done. If need be, set a deadline and reward yourself when it is done. A cupcake, Starbucks coffee, a glass of wine, a hot bath - whatever floats your boat. Trust me, you'll feel better afterwards.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

There is nothing like a good brownie. With peanut butter. And milk. I hinted the other day that sometimes I get slack for the baked goods I make and how "Paula Deen" they are. Well, I'd like you to know that this one contains NO butter.

Aren't you proud?

It was our dessert of the week last week and lasted, well, all about three days in the house. I love a cakey brownie, but I also really love a fudgy brownie, and this one rings right into that category.

Fudgy Peanut Butter Brownies

1/2 c. canola oil

3/4 c. cocoa

2 eggs

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. honey

3/4 c. flour

1 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

1 t. baking powder﻿

1/2 c. peanut butter chips

In a stand or hand-held mixer combine eggs, sugar, honey and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine oil and cocoa until a chocolate sauce consistency forms. Pour into the egg/sugar mixture and combine. Mix together flour, salt and baking powder and add to liquid ingredients.

Pour into a greased 8x8 baking pan, top with peanute butter chips. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

These are fudgy, chewy and delicious. Give them a try. Substitute whatever "chips" you like. I'm thinking mint chips would be good?

So I spent last night listening to the little man cough. Do any other moms out there lay in bed when their child is a little under the weather, listening to them, then can't get back to sleep? That was me last night. So frustrating. Especially when the alarm goes off at 5:45 a.m.

Even more so that the husband sleeps through anything and the more I hear him breathe heavy in his deep slumber the more mad I get for not being able to get back to sleep.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you are swarmed with love and happiness today. It is a Tuesday though, so I'm sure it is just a regular work day for most!

This meal doesn't exactly ring in the romance, but it is one we enjoyed the week prior and I just had to share. A big thanks to Kristen, as she featured this alternative taco awhile back, and frankly anything she serves is usually pretty darn good, so I took her advice and made them as well.

And guess what? It's a slow cooker meal! Don't you just love those? I'm all about simple and easy to please, and this dish did both.

Place all ingredients into a slow cooker and set on low. After 2 hours, break up meat and stir until combined. Let cook/simmer another 2 hours, or when meat is done, keep on the warm setting until ready to eat.

There was enough for us to eat off of this for two nights (winner!), but the second night I made it into a big taco salad, which essentially tastes just the same, just in bowl form.

I've got a great peanut butter brownie recipe coming up (that contains no butter!) and some other good eats. You should really be proud of me with these brownies, sometimes I feel like I get a little slack for all the baked goods I make and other rich dishes. But you need to remember it is all in moderation. I don't eat like that every day, but I don't deprive myself either.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

It's no secret we've had to get a little creative in our house when it comes to space. These little challenges are sometimes fun, sometimes not. This current project was actually one of the fun ones.

Little misses' room is what used to be our spare bedroom. Thankfully it's a decent sized room, so it can still hold a double bed, as well as her crib and dresser, for when family stays over.

But, it was also holding a desk and computer, which made it to be a little cramped. Enter in Pinterest and I saw a solution - turning your closet into a home office area. This closet wasn't used for any of her clothes, but rather random things - suitcases, my husband's work clothes, my preserved wedding dress, scrapbooks and well, just junk.

I brought the idea up to him and he was all for it. The only problem is he isn't a well-known handy man, but we conquered!

Here are the results.﻿

﻿

Our home office now holds a hand-made desk, a new chair and shelves for all our papers (bills, tax info, important documents, files, etc.) I'm still debating on getting a cute curtain and/or fabric shower curtain to hang in the doorway to keep the office "closed off" when not in use. What do you think?

There are even two additional shelves up higher I didn't show, still holding some work stuff and my wedding dress!

What is even better about this, is getting rid of our hold desk freed-up a TON of space in her room. I actually enjoy walking in here now.

Now, if I could just get that iPad, Kindle Fire or laptop to have out of her room when I need to use the computer, I will be set.

﻿I've showcased this dish before, but this version is a little different. The original name of this dish is Million Dollar Spaghetti, but to me it just "feels" like a casserole. It makes a TON, is such a great meal to feed a crowd or to make when you have a busy week as it will cover dinner for at least two nights in a row, maybe three!

I texted my good friend that gave me this recipe years ago last weekend saying I was making it. You know it's a keeper when she texted back that she was just talking about it and she is also putting it into charity cookbook she is working on. Keeper!

Here are the step-by-step directions. I recently re-shot all the photos to give them a bit of an update, so if you see the old photos circulating around the interwebs....relax....it is still the same recipe. Now, it just looks much more appetizing.

Step 6: Top with 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese {refrigerate overnight for even more flavor} and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.

Million Dollar Casserole

Print this Recipe!1 lb. cooked spaghetti28 oz. spaghetti meat sauce1/4 c. sour cream8 oz. cottage cheese4 oz. cream cheese1/3 c. chopped onion1/2 c. Parmesan cheese1 t. garlic powder1 t. pepper2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese1. Grease a 9x13 baking dish, preheat the oven to 375 degrees if baking right away.2. Pour in a ladel of the spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom of the dish.3. Layer in half of the cooked spaghetti.4. In a bowl combine the sour cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese, onion, Parmesan cheese and spices. Spread over the first layer of spaghetti.5. Layer on the remaining cooked spaghetti.6. Pour on the rest of the spaghetti sauce.7. Top with mozzarella cheese.8. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour. If prepping ahead, cover and refrigerate overnight.I've got to tell you I'm in LOVE with the Pioneer Woman's new Flea Market style decorated casserole dishes. How perfect to split up this recipe and give one to a friend, baking dish included! Nothing is better than giving the gift of a home cooked meal.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

I bake one sweet treat a week. My intentions are for them to last at LEAST a few days, but that never happens. Between snacks for the little man and us, along with after-dinner treats, we are lucky if they last two days.

I've been experimenting with oat flour and we are really liking it. A much healthier flour, also gluten free, it holds up very well in baking with a sweet taste. It is usually processed in facilities with other wheat ingredients, so if you know someone with very, highly sensitive gluten issue you may want to try it slowly at first. You can read more about it here, from Chef Lauren Hoover. She uses it a lot in her cookbook and definitely knows a lot more than I do.

﻿

Kitchen Sink cookies are typically a "free for all" cookie, where you throw in whatever needs to be used up around the house (food related, of course). In this cookie I threw in some peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, crushed mini Health bars and a few chopped up Whoppers.

Definitely kitchen sink style.

These cookies are so chewy and delicious, we loved them! And for the added health benefit I threw in 1/2 c. flax seed, as we always need more fiber in our diet right?

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. In a stand mixer or hand-held mixer combine butter and sugars until creamy. Add in eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Slowly add in flour mixture until just combined.

Drop by tablespoonfuls on baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Let cookies cool for a few minutes before moving to cooing rack. Store in a tight container.

﻿

If you saw my Facebook post yesterday I told you I thought I broke my toe. Walking in a dark kitchen at 5:45 a.m. and trying to let out two dogs that cannot hold their pee for one more milla-second, inevitably causes a tired mom to stub her toe....HARD...on a wooden high chair/booster seat.

Today it looks like I dropped a two ton elephant on my foot and the comfy, casual loafer style shoes I'm wearing with my dress clothes really make me stand out.

Monday, February 6, 2012

So I had a package of chicken and a carton of mushrooms staring at me in the fridge and this is what I came up with. Pretty darn good for winging it and not having a recipe.

The trick to good sauteed chicken is seasoning throughout each step - before you start, while cooking, and then again while it's simmering away in this rich creamy sauce. If you don't, trust me your chicken will be bland. And we all know how I feel about bland chicken.

Boring.

If you aren't a mushroom lover (which I know many aren't), you could simply omit, or swap with some sun dried tomatoes or other fresh veggies. But, if you love mushrooms like us - don't swap! Keep them in.

Chicken Cutlets in a Mushroom Cream Sauce

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half to make 4

1 carton button mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups milk

1/2 c. flour

1 t. parsley

3 T. oil

salt

pepper

In a bowl pour in flour, season with salt and pepper. Preheat a skillet to medium-high heat. Wh﻿en hot, dredge seasoned chicken in flour, shaking off the excess. Pour oil in skillet and lay in chicken. Sprinkle minced garlic into the pan. Cook chicken 2-3 minutes a side, or until just cooked through. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Turn down the heat in the skillet to medium-low. Pour in milk and start scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan. Season again with salt and pepper. Turn up the heat a little and add in mushrooms and let cook for a 4-5 minutes, continuing to stir. Once this mixture starts to thicken, place chicken breasts back into the skillet to heat through, sprinkling with parsley. When sauce is thick and chicken is reheated, serve.

I served this with some roasted potatoes and we called it good!

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I came across this sign the other day and I think it fits me perfectly. You've often heard me ramble on about having a part-time job, two kids under the age of 2, a husband, two dogs, a blog, a life....so when I saw this sign I felt it fit me to a tee.

I started this blog back in 2009 shortly after our son was born. I was staying at home and needed something just for me. Something that would calm me down when the spit-up, crying and endless amounts of laundry just about put me over the edge.

I can honestly say that blogging keeps me calm and gives me just "enough" of something else in my life to keep me sane. When the husband and I finally finish our little home office project I hope to hang up this sign.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

While the kids napped yesterday, I made banana bread. Anytime the grocery store has big paper sacks full of over-ripened bananas for 99 cents I snag a bag. You should be proud our deep freeze currently only has one big bag of them.

I've been known to have many more.

I used this tried and true recipe that has become our favorite, cutting back 1/3 of the sugar and replacing it with organic honey. I honestly think it makes this bread what it is. Moist and full of banana flavor. I'm not lying when I say one loaf is almost gone.

This morning while the little miss munched on scrambled eggs and the little man was downing Stonyfield strawberry yogurt (the only kind we buy), I knew that wouldn't fill him up and needed something else. Out of bread, I figured why not use the banana bread?

Genius.﻿

If I owned a restaurant I would most certainly put this on the menu. Great for a Saturday or Sunday morning breakfast splurge.

Banana Bread French Toast

4 thick slices banana bread (1 inch)

1 egg

1/2 c. milk

1 t. cinnamon

butter

maple syrup

Mix egg, milk and cinnamon. Soak banana bread in mixture and place in hot skillet, browning each side. Serve with butter and syrup.﻿

Thursday, February 2, 2012

The Super Bowl is just 3 days away! And whether you are a football watcher or not (we are), it is still a great excuse to get together with friends and family and EAT.

Just like a holiday in my opinion. All diets are off.

We'll be staying at home this year (husband is working...bleh), but that doesn't mean I won't bring out the snacks for dinner on Sunday. Remember the movie Mermaids with Cher? And how she as a mom, made every meal as an appetizer? Hilarious. I'm not joking when I say I could live on appetizers, just like her.

So here are some recipes from the past year that are easy and crowd pleasing. Pick out one, try it, serve it and tell me if the crowd liked it!﻿